Collector
by Zephyr C
Summary: Arthus collects things they must be of ratity and he really doesn't care if they are inanimate or not. He has his eyes on the new Gym Leader in Pewter, himself living in the destroyed Viridian City but her husband is in the way and needs to go, NOW AU
1. First fic death

Fic based on a swine we have encounted in an rp I'm in. This is absed on a one shot fic thing of a friend called Angel & Devil, both Hance and unfortantly Arthus are owned by me and Yams belongs to herself.

**Collector**

**Chapter 1 – First story kill**

People often wondered who committed the murders of the Stone family of Pewter City; it was something never answered after all. Seven years ago now and still there's no clue and though all authorities attempts have given up trying to figure it out there are people who still ponder.

There has been a new gym leader there a while now, a girl who had came out of nowhere to cover using Flying Pokemon instead…

However the leader, currently catering for the mostly desolate Viridian Gym, happens to know exactly what happened there. He knows both about the murder off the former gym trainers and… other mystery deaths round there.

Of course where he "lives" few bother going near these days, nobody else lives there except him as it's quite a literal hell hole now carved to be different to suit his liking.

Anybody who sees him sees him differently. To humans he looks human, to a hybrid human he will resemble the same hybrid, to a Pokemon different still. He is everything and nothing at the same time and only he actually knows what he really looks like behind this gift ability.

You see, the current leader isn't human.

Not hybrid either.

Not even a enhanced Pokemon.

He's something completely different.

There is also the matter of how ruthless this Gym Leader is, nobody has ever beaten him in a fight let alone left Viridian with their life. To lose to him is to lose your life and for your corpse to be left rotting in the mangled terrain of desert and burning grounds surrounding the still untouched building.

He always has so many different names as he manipulates and deceives constant charges if his interest is caught, coming and going as he pleases to look for no objects or people to acquire.

The leader collects anything deemed a rarity be it an object or alive and keeps it imprisoned within a hidden room below the gym where his collections are out the way. Any collected females usually have the "pleasure" of not just being stared at as well; he loves a psychical examination of his prizes, regular ones at that.

For us, his name is simply Arthus, a collector of the rare, owner of the Viridian Gym and its redesigned badge and homeland.

Arthus sighs boredly as he flicks through his notes, rummaging through a few boxes. One of the human girls he had gained had just past her sell by date but she barely gave any enjoyment so there was no point to use any necromancy magic on the rotting corpse.

He frowns as he takes the cigarette from his lips, not even flinching, as some of the burning ash falls onto his flesh, not that it leaves a mark either. He was lacking interest in most of the humans he came across and it bothered him, all four eyes showed it and even the slight tail flicker.

Nobody had stupidly come to the Gym lately with those wretches under their command. How is a creature purely made of big eyes and puff supposed to be used in battle anyway? Even his fellow residents, several spawned demons and a lone Split Jaw showed disinterest in the flesh and the girl barely lasted because of her annoying screams.

As he puts the cig back in his mouth, he continues to muse over his written notes. He kept them just to help understand the humans better and also fit in better when he walks amongst them. Their need for water he found most bothersome, he had never seen such a concept prior to founding this new land and from what he had gathered, and they were in constant need of it.

The boxes contain all sorts of various pieces, rare but not worth putting up for admirance. Bits of clothing are there as well which the reflector that stopped his true appearance being seen didn't need it but several collectibles did need them.

Glancing aside from his notes, he scoops up a purple gem, he had been wondering where that had got to due to its absence for a few days. Given the trouble he had to get it he didn't want it out of his sight so he puts the jewel by his foot and goes back to note reading

'Obey or trick your superiors, enslave or destroy those who aren't, hmm. If it was up to me the entirely region would be purged with the idiocy of the life forms here. Well… except two' he muses aloud.

It bothered him a lot, one of his best hunters who he converted at a young age broke a few years ago because of the current Pewter Gym Leader. He was starting to get some sense of soul back and Arthus didn't particularly like it, nor the fact that several attempts to get to the girl had failed. She was unique, far different from the human reengages about, deserving of being part of his collection.

He had got her once but she was pregnant, even he couldn't have done anything given the circumstances which pissed him off… even if he helped aid the father to think she had cheated on him for himself, it was amusing while it lasted but she got past him again making him so much harder to control. Though the influence was still inside, the leader could barely get anything through beyond updates to the body dweller.

It'd be so easy to use a psychic shock to overwhelm him, let the influence et ahead so it could get her and not Hance but he could never get close enough. Given the various murders lately he was rather high on the list of suspects according to papers; at least something shows a sign of intelligence in this realm.

He wanted the girl badly, lusted for her, needing to see her under glass like so many had been before but have since died unable to sate his demand. But she is different for the Dragon thing he had picked up on a few years ago, worth bringing back again and again.

It's just the now husband was in the way; that's something else he never did quite get over he never looked the type at all.

'Blasted humans' he mutters flipping back through his notes back to the ones on Yams, he had collected quite a lot of data both through running into her those scarce few times an things the influence had mentioned…. Weak points like constant paranoia and the fact she still gets a little edgy if nobodies there including the brat or one of Hance's Pokemon.

Kids are either a failure upon his species or it was just him who hated them.

As far as he had been told, there had been no other kid secessions as yet meaning she'd still be takable if he got things right. He's rather having her here for good than short periods but he was personally unsure if he could get the swine back under his control again.

'Erm hello, anybody here?' a voice echoes from upstairs. Muttering angrily with a scritch of one of his extra eyes, Arthus goes off the bed leaving his notes and boxes where they are and heads upstairs on the drawn out stone spiral. H hated being interrupted but if somebody bothered to come to his little wasteland, he wasn't about to deny them a presence.

His fury lightens slightly as he eyes the visitor, a girl, a human girl with short emerald hair and a determined, almost desperate expression. Even from the doorway he could see a slit of blood trickling down her arm from one of his residents not liking a new comer on their land.

'Yes, there is somebody here' he answers flatly as he comes up to her, standing a little way from her as he waits patiently for why she had decided to come, with such a weak build and almost whitest skin from the light, she can hardly be considered strong enough for travel.

'I am Erika sir, leader of the Celadon Gym and part of the Gym Leader Institute Commission or GLIC. I have come upon request regarding your… gym' she states rather timidly, looking round constantly like the shadows would jump her, course they would be not until told to.

'Just call me Arthus, hu- miss, I am no sir' he responds, cursing himself inwardly for nearly slipping there. Giving a light curtsey despite her rather draping kimono, Erika tries to keep eye contact for politeness but she just can't keep her eyes on his.

Arthus knows well enough what she wants, her mind a shatter of nerves as she pulls back up her sleeve to stop it touching the wound as it slides.

'Well then… Arthus, I have come after many messengers we have sent have simply vanished. Since the former leader disappeared, this gym was never reinstated with the GLIC and has had... some renovation which has not been submitted for approval.' She frowns slightly at his unbothered expression. 'Plus there is the desolation outside; do you have such disregard for plant life?'

'The messengers trespassed and were dealt with accordingly, I saw no need to lower myself to underlings rule and this region has little I can consider care for.' He answers plainly, his eyes watching her intently as she visibly flinches.

'As a new gym leader it's your duty to obey the rules of GLIC, there are to be no exceptions.'

'Well,' he answered cruelly, a grin on his face as he glared at her, the door behind creaking shut with lock 'I guess I can show none for you either.'

Erika looks at him alarmed to his words when suddenly something strikes her mind, a violent mental jolt forcing her without will to the ground and her eyes to pale slightly. Her entire body feels in agony, like all the nerves on feeling herself in a fire while really its just the strike attacked the main area of the brain they are located.

'Sorry human but I'm not about to lower myself to your politics and laws, they simply don't interest me' he says with a grin before turning away boredly, she fell at such a feeble strike.

Despite the pain, Erika barely manages to release one of her Pokemon, a Victreebel who hisses in fury and seeing its fallen mistress. Rocking its body from one side to the other, the whip from its mouth shoots forward, ensnaring Arthus several times around the arm to which it tugs back violently trying to pull the unbothered creature.

'If you hadn't bothered with your creature, you could have just passed out for a few hours then left remembering nothing but your mind showed clearly you would, stubbornly protective of your little weeds.' He says in the still flat tone as he turns forcing the flycatcher to stumble forward.

Without another though, he tears apart the vine clinging to his arm making the plant fall limply without its support, a horrified glance from its owner as he crows weakly. The thing was useless without the irreplaceable vine, couldn't even stand its self back up due to poor evolution of the tame.

'Stalker, there's fresh meat here if you want it, leave some for the GLIC or whatever she bitched about so I can send the remain back for them' he states coldly, his annoyance was extreme that the girl was stupid enough to not only attack him but with a creature so inbred its weaknesses were severe at best let alone obvious.

The summoned beast steps away from the shadows, the dim lighting causing them to be everywhere as it's dulled bronze eyes glare towards the trying to rise Erika. It's tail flicks as its jaws part, a little salvia dripping from the split in the lower jaw from where the dark creature had gained its name.

True, the breed only eats hearts but its fellows under their master's command would happily devour the rest as long as it alone got its substance.

The beast prowls over to the panic stricken girl, the long claws on the single arm scraping across the ground as it stalks on all fours ignoring all else as its long neck wavers a slight and tail flickers.

Erika's eyes widen as the Split Jaw charges at her, plunging its pointed snout into her chest pulling out her still beating bloody heart before letting it roll down the split and down its long throat.

Erika's fading scream and the stalker's triumphant howl is the last few seconds the girl hears before she slumps down dead, blood trickling down her ever staining kimono.


	2. Created Demons

Nother chapter o.o Hints throughout of what exactly happened to Viridian plus all but one Pokemon you should be able to guess what they are, Loki I doubt anybody will to be honest :x Also doing little hints of what Arthus really is so you can slowly build up a picture of what he looks like, however the species still doens't have a name so :x

**Collector**

**Chapter 2 – Created Demons**

Though not legions from forsaken lands, the creatures could hardly be daubed with the title normal from what the twist of fate had manipulated them into when their master's wrath was invoked upon the former city in which they dwell.

As much as their master lacked care for the inbreeds of the planet, the wild ones who were the true, not the false run-aways intrigues him enough to go on a collection run. Back then their minds was forced under his will with simple ease, the same arcane magic that caused such a stigma back in his homeland.

Now the stronger non-native creature had taken what he desired, the rest who are able went on a scavenge run across the meat from the hidden shadows their bodies almost melded to as they await a command.

Cerberus is first still being as light on his paws as he ever was. His two heads fighting fiercely with each other over the mouthful the other had just pulled from the carcass. They snarl and bicker, tussling horns bite at each others neck despite it leads to the same body, the same paws.

A click of talons with dragged tail snatches the corpse away as the two heads squabble, tearing eye away from their socket with a penetrating beak as they are quickly devoured with a thrown back head and a tail tip thudding across the concrete floor in joy.

The two heads cease their argument, the one barely a skull devouring the meat as they both growl at the female slapping a paw to ground in their fury. Her response is only a short amused glance before Fernir returns to the feast holding tightly with talon and ripping away at the face with beak as she begins to tackle the skull's innermost containment.

By Cerberus a clatter of hooves snorts at him and stands on the intertwined tails causing one head to yelp, the other fails to register it but pulls the tail out from under when its fellow is struggling beside to do so. The titan above him appears uninterested by little can be seen in her eyes but the burning flames from a destroyed soul.

Fernir continues to tear at the grey matter held within her piercing talons, forcing it into a state of oozing in former protective liquid amongst the ragged mess of hair and blood trodden fragments. As the twisted beast does ignoring the foul smelling flesh nestles amongst her near pristine feathers, the still alive Victreebel rolls its self onto its side by using its leaves as a rudder.

The plant creation eyes its dead mistress with vengeance consuming its tiny eyes, the need to destroy not only the killer but also the ones who dared to start to devour her like common filth!

Somehow pushing its self in a poor balancing act onto its mid point, the creature spins round rather jerkily and haphazard like. It holds its leaves out like blades and by the force of the spin, segments pull away and aim straight for Valkyrie the tail stepper and her rider before it topples over again causing it to pant dejected.

Valkyrie rears onto only four of her eight legs, kicking out wildly as the leaves scar across her hide and pain despite quickly burning up from the heat of flesh.

Cerebus jumps aside gaining a few strikes in the flank which one head pulls out in annoyance oblivious to all but his own wounds.

Loki on the back of the rearing creature watches boredly as they simply go through him, waiting for the pathetic attack to cease with a faint glare of colour.

As the leaves fade, Loki jumps from the Nightmare's back, using her antlers to swing to the ground, paws solidifying to allow him to run as he goes straight for the attacker and disappears straight into its body in a fuzz of natural yellow blue and black fur from his former body.

The Victreebel's eyes widen a moment as soon as the running spirit vanishes inside of it, its mouth is forced shut despite it rarely being able to so naturally it struggles in an attempt to open its mouth but its like its being held by an invisible force. The air inside now trapped is causing the stomach acids to bubble to expand with the extra air contact and the building of heat in the stomach pit causing them to even begin to corrode the inner lining.

The mottled yellow starts to expand at a rapid pace, becoming like a rolling balloon as the eyes bulge. Slowly one submerges into their socket from the bulk-expanding round; the other simply pops out hanging by the tendons blind and limp.

And with an ear splitting screech, the plant Pokemon simply explodes in a mangle of innards, poisons and flesh.

Fernir hisses angrily unfurling her wings where burns have attacked feather as she protected her meal. Glaring a moment, she goes back to as though nothing has happened despite the violet ooze still eating away at both flesh and floor near her.

'Just had to blow the wretch up huh Loki?' Arthus states with an amused grin at the bodiless Pokemon still standing on the spot like nothing happened.

Due to the lack of humans and the Pokemon corrupted several years ago now, the mirror shift allowed him to slip back to his raw form with one set of arms crossed while the others held down loosely.

'Gonna be acid shit everywhere for days now… Oh well it earned it, think you might need to work on stopping the blasts going everywhere for future blow outs though, Cerberus seems to be struggling just to get that piece out of his eye socket' and true to form, the skull head is trying to shake out the piece of rotting flesh as the other on tries to grab it underneath the jaw.

Arthus pats Valkyrie's back as the mare calms down, scratching her warm body with his claws unbothered by her flames, and thinking about what to do next with Fernir so fiercely defending her flesh and rarely willing to give anything up.

With a slight blink of his four eyes, he walks to the hissing creature, hissing right back in mutual aggresion before standing over her. It's a simple tactic; even at her tallest height he is much larger than her and height for just about any critter means superior.

'I only want a hand Fernir, don't make me gorge your chest just to convince you to let me' he growls, fully capable of following up with the threat with the tusks coming from his lower jaw.

Despite this, she still hisses in defiance with scarlet wings flared and talons clutching tightly to her prey, her amber eyes a blaze of contempt.

A snarl is her answer as the seemingly only capable of lumbering beast begins to charge forward with his head raised, tail clattering on the ground in fury at the reluctance for the victim to shift.

With a powerful flick of one foot, he easily rams straight into her causing a shrieked squawk as she is pushed to both stone of wall and floor. The skull both smacks into her rib cage and the striped teeth are dragged down her body as they sink into her flesh with a burning hiss from the owner.

With her back partially contorted and her flurry of feeble movements, he backs away, using lower hands for support as Arthus straightens himself up enough to stand up on his back legs again.

'Next time creature, obey what I say, not pick and choose' he growls with a slight flicker of his forked tongue as his jaw drops slightly from the force of the strike still resounding in the skull.

Though her amber eyes glower in fury, she dips her beak showing the white mark amongst her red feathers as a sign of submission as she lays slumped against the rock, blood still trickling down her chest.

Arthus turns his head slightly, his extra eyes already caught Cerberus thinking about daring a challenge but the violent blood drenched hiss causes them to instantly hit submission with both heads dipped in whimpers.

'Infidels' he growls in irritation as he lowers is tall body back to the corpse, sinking his already bloodied jaws around the wrist of the nearly faceless corpse. With a swift clamp and tug, the tendons strained from the force snap like forced over stretched leather causing droplets of their colour to spring out, some landing on the blackened fragmented bone.

Taking the ragged wrist tipped hand from his mouth, he spits to the side having never had too much fancy for human flesh or their lack of taste let alone one so tainted with plant life.

'I need to go deliver this, I want you all to stay here with the Split Jaw, take any trespassers you wish but I want nobody who gets in this gym and either finds this corpse or my room to be allowed to leave alive. Loki, wait by the door you're coming with me as soon as I gather something.'

Satisfied by the nod of all that remain visible, Arthus starts to walk back to his rooms, the stairs, his mind reflecting considerably as it had been many months since he last left the gym and the annoying fact Celadon area meant he would need to go through Pewter and on the new trans-linc that went onto Saffron.

Despite mostly in isolation since the incident a few years ago now, he still kept himself up to date with news for when he did have to leave and make it easier to keep contact to an utter minimum.

He yawns lightly as he descends the final steps, all four eyes blinking in a single wave as he slips back into his room with the severed hand still lightly clutched between pads and claw.

The thought of going near Pewter City didn't ride well with him, he wasn't ready to go deal with them yet, more so with the constant shifting from the mirror reflector and the lack of felt pain constantly shifting from working and not; the arcane magics had begun to wane.

There is so much more to do before that, the fact that leaders like himself were starting to get suspicions about the ghost town in which he dwells, the disappearances and their more frequent visits and not just from this region. By nature, he is purely one of study, wanting to learn about various races and improving his own knowledge of the PSI arcane that caused such a stigma back home for him learning. The need to gather objects and creatures of rarity also burns in roaring blazes within his blood; a formerly indulged passion had slowly become more of an obsession as things constantly took what he desired away or broke what he had gathered.

His tail flickers rather violently, scraps of memories filling his vision as he slips inside his room.

The girl. Being in Blackthorne. A human gained worker whining at him on the phone. The rebel smashing his phone and yelling angrily for touching her as the gem was thrown to his feet….

He frowns a little as he goes past the jewel that caused so many problems. One of many littering Dragon's Eye's that dwealt within the cave he sent her into, constantly reminding him of the fact despite Hance believed that her child belonged to him and that he was not the father but he still went after her and took her away again which later ended in happy families.

With an infuriated hiss, he lashes out with an arm causing the small table that the gem stood on to wobble as the eye its self is sent skidding across the floor from his pure hatred at what it cost him.

His tail hits the ground angrily at the split, his eyes in an envious scarlet rage as he snatches up a container. He should have taken her while he had the chance! Now because of it, she is with him and a child who never should have happened, not to mention all the destroyed pieces that idiotic husband of hers had cost him!

He roars out in pure fury causing glass and rock alike to shake violently at the sound. But as the sound starts to cease, he goes quiet and sullen in his thoughts, it was his rage that destroyed the city in the first place the same which drove him to be more ruthless than he ever intended to be.

He quickly stuffs the delicate flesh into the container and shuts it thinking to himself; where had he broke down and ended like this? Was his obsession worth so much that dregs of his own sanity had gone, the fact he no longer cared about anything more than having her?

His silence tells him everything as he heads back to the stairs, to the outside where little more than instinct and somebody far changed lays.


	3. Slave

**Collector**

**Chapter 3 – Slave**

Loki just watches in silence as his master gazes into the twisted world created, the same creation's birth that ripped his spirit from his body leaving him only as a shade. So little he could do now, once a legend, then an enslavement and now… simply ether.

Silence was all the Kalaldrei made with his voice, tempered by the fading clicks of his claws cuffing across the worn stone. His thoughts are erratic, thankful for not being trapped in a human form by prying eyes but furious at the fact he would have to go near _there_.

'The creator should have had their bleating organs torn out from the body and devoured with the utmost savorence as the body waned, not to have simply committed suicide as it did' He muses aloud, that angry flick still in both tails accompanied by a slight hiss before the beast corrected himself on manner sake and stopped.

Where he is truly from, another plain, there were psychical forms of a minority; creators that brought luck and irony amongst other things. However all were mortal and despite what made the occurrences happen from within their bodies still exist, the mind that once controlled the ability has since rotted in soil as their decaying flesh decomposed for dwellers to nourish their families.

One of them happened to kill themselves just before the finishing blow was struck by the currently angered Obsidian form.

'Loki,' he growls in a low tone, not even bothering to turn his head 'I expect that you will not go off and do anything without command, you never know what could possibly happen if the line was approached again' he sneers slightly in the last few words.

The spirit simply blinks vacantly, slow without care. It no longer had a concept for being, just obey, the heard words to the Rukario are simply empty as a void much like its physicality.

With a slight smirk, Arthus lifts his head and gazes around with simple movements of his head. There is simply nothing here anymore, just war torn land stretching only to this city's borders, the gnarled roots of death and fallen life piercing cracked ground to steal the last traces of existence from them.

You see, death isn't really black; it's a rich mix of the nova, scarlet and russet with fading azure of dead man's tears.

All this barren cause, a place transformed purely for demons was caused by such a simple fact, a line trodden over that purely exists for him since he is the only of his race to temper in forbidden arts. His rage caused an explosion, snuffing out the light of an existence, coiling round its throat and suffocating till it falls with a shattered spine.

Somethings were destroyed, they were lucky ones, others were transformed into monstrosities to reflect how he felt which turned on those left to die before their victims eyes could open to see what would be left of their former home.

And _she _is the cause, because _she_ refused to be part of his collection, to stand amongst the rare and unique, too enthralled by life being wasted in normalcy.

Because of it, an entire town, generations, so many life chances to maybe make a breakthrough in medicine, become great authors, trainer, researchers, just nameless faces ground into the dirt under a heel and claw.

He snorts as he lets a hand run over the spine nubs under his jaw, his annoyance still fully evident in his twisted expression, his thoughts wanting to make her pay for ruining the efforts he had in place to keep his existence outside being a Leader quiet.

Despite this, he never really cared what happened to the local residents, the creatures he had enslaved from the odd Trainer and the stupid wanderers, he has no real ego in a human sense but known superiority over lesser beings as he is fully aware of what he is capable of. Few thoughts can be hidden, the land is left can give birth to varying Sengu, acting as servants for his chosen will at a mere flicker of one of his wings.

To say God amongst mortal wouldn't be that far from the truth, his blatant disregard after study constantly evident… even when study held little interest anymore. His passion in life and existence altered drastically to darker more ambitious aims.

He's not the conquest sort; world domination would never dare a glimmer across those dark orbs.

_It's all about **her**_

'Come Loki' he growls softly, already starting across the barrens without bothering to glance back, contain clutched tightly in one palm, plastic shredding to fine from the sheer hold his claws have embedded into the inanimate flesh.

Loki obeys plainly, his colour fading to dull death tabard as he chooses simply to float after seeing it an ill waste of energy to do otherwise, ignoring all but the simple command.

The ground feels foreign under toughened skin; it feels as solid as diamond yet… does not at the same. Its desert a as a main concoction mixed with failure and regret pumping through lifeless veins, memories, a former life lacking from the scarred burn of rawness gracing across in confident steps.

He doesn't notice the feeling treading across claw and pad, immune to the feeling with unfocused eyes staring ahead to destination anger notably bubbling fiercer across his hide with each drawn breath and huff, the moments closer to being anywhere near his one failure threatening to tar him asunder once more.

Sanity is barely intact already, instinct and need being the bar survivals in his psyche, the need to feel blood trickle, the burn for absolute revenge and come back.

And to that his eyes flicker a moment, his lost self barely prevented from drowning before it is cast back down into the oceans filled with empty and bleak.

His growl comes and fades rapidly as his form is forcibly changed into that of a regular human, his disgust evident as he pauses a moment to look at the fragility obvious in his free hand.

Before he simply put up with it in extended annoyance, after all it was hardly wanted to be noticed as the spices is and have constant human intervention so no study could be completed, aggravation causes stressed threads to wither after all.

Now as his eyes narrow to glare, the venom so clear, it disgusts him to look so pitiful, be like them, reduced to a level where he could barely use half the skills he should be able to, being the same as the pair that had cost him so bitterly.

His fist slams into rock, struck out without a flinch in his expression to the fragments embedded into his skin, the blood trickling down his balled hand is ignored the taste left to be unsavoured in utter rarity.

He can't feel it; the withering arcane has spared him for now.

His hand wavers a moment, flicking the blood to the ground where it is quickly dissipated before being finally allowed to fall to his side where the bruising wound continues to ooze at his ignorance's cost. He just walks on, utterly silent eyes fixed on the human guard with eyes able to tear a soul from its body with a simple notion if willed.

Loki continues to follow; his gait has since slipped to a mixture of psychical and natural. He had glanced around as they tread, noticing the odd stretches of barren invading into natural place, etched in a crude line as the pair try to co-exist. He hadn't been past the line in any time since his "re-death" and an inkling of former curiosity ebbed because of it.

And for a moment there is a mind, feebly tries to calculate why the forest is gone, one of few remaining, why there is no trace.

Then the thought is lost, his posture partly slouched as the human in uniform draws closer and a simple word etches across the dulled russet orbs.

_Victim_

Arthus snorts with distaste as the human raises a hand and demands he halt, however he does stop without a word, his eyes narrowed with furrowed brow.

'What are you doing coming from this way kid? Back there's No Man's Land, going through is suicide.' He grunts, face solemn and judging but it was notable that despite how hard he tried he avoided eye contact. Arthus just holds up a hand little, ignoring the obvious gun being aimed right at him, the humans were obviously suspicious of anything coming from this way.

'One, I'm not a child so don't chide me with obvious details, two, what about a Miss Erika? She came this way' his reply comes in a rather stagnant tone, he wasn't impressed by the pitiful weapon held, just a thought and the guard would drop it, cringing on the ground in convulsions.

'She has higher rights than you kid, there is a Gym there I'm told, one that wasn't corresponding to rules though why anybody would living that nut house let alone run anything there is beyond me, must be ready to be locked up in a padded cell… Hey, what's that you're holding?'

Arthus grins darkly; the human notably shivers slightly as the expression was hardly possible by human standards, not that extremely.

'A present from the dear miss Erika and you think I'm insane do you?' he whispers softly, innocent yet still rippling with malice as he walks up to the guard whose eyes widened in fear partly from the control of fear being forcibly removed.

'It's not a nut house there human, it's a second home where trespassers pay with their life just like she did' he continues to whisper, his eyes narrowing fraction as he clutches the Guard's throat as he forces him down to his knees like a common dog.

'And I don't like being denied common right, you are just flesh after all, he hisses darkly, the shift had altered where it shouldn't have been possible, allowing the hand clutching the man's throat to embed claw into the muscle as the ripple effect slowly creeps across the rest of him.

The device despite having no morality or understanding had decided just for once, to fall to his anger burning across his hide to let him be, not something else.

'And I'm not' he hisses with a sick twisted expression on his face, forked tongue flickering as his four eyes bore into the guy's skull.

The guard is driven by pure fear and horror now, words unable to form, skin a shade of pale with eyes bulged slightly as ragged breath barely is drawn.

Imagine his shock when he is simply let go making his head thud into the dirt, to arise blinking away dirt to not see a demon, but a human he saw before with eyes that down right terrified him.

'Here's the deal… John Mosaki, You no longer forbid anybody to leave or come from my area, you never speak ill-ly again of either the area or of me, you encourage them to come down, trainers more so, call it there ultimate chance for glory.'

The Guard just nods dumbly as Arthus absently tastes the blood on his finger tips, half closing his eyes in contentment at the taste, soothing his anger enough before gazing back to the fallen.

'You will also send report to me on regular basis of people asking, word spoken, whatever I don't really care I just wish to know. I will ensure that you may cross the Wasteland without harm you will be left unharmed. However unless I get these and I shall know if you have even tried to speak of this and what you have said with a simple glance… a little accident might just happen to little Judie and we wouldn't want _that _now would we?'

Eyes widen again as the man holds his hands together in prayer and plead.

'Ple-e-ee-ease I'l I'll do anything just please don't hurt my daughter!' he garbles; tears and panic slipping down his face.

A simple smirk is the response, this is how all humans should be, grovelling pitifully like animals which they are barely above.

'Good boy… now on your feet and pull yourself together before somebody notices, remember nothing here happened as far as anybody else should know, the marks on your throat are from an out of control beast that came out you from nowhere…. a Mightyena perhaps' he muses ignoring the human shakily standing to his feet, gun back in holster and cap looking out of place on the sweating mess before him.

'I expect the first report within hours of when you next see me; your shifts are simple enough to work into. Just note one thing when you come down south, never lock eyes with a beast, glance away fast… they don't always listen to word when food is involved.'

A feared nod is the response, words still unable to form, fear for his little girl who is partially deaf, the thoughts being enjoyed by the twisted individual in front of him.

'Come Loki' is the last thing he says before passing the guard, acting as nothing happened as the spirit follows him, oblivious to the man barely holding himself together.

'Eyes… those eyes' he mumbles barely coherent as is hand trails to his neck, shaking as it is held in front of his face.

_Those e-eyes…._


	4. Innocence

**Collector**

**Chapter 4 – Innocence**

_It is just a tingle_

A grunt

_It'll pass, its gotta pass_

But it didn't

Inwardly he growls in pain as he clutches his damaged hand feverishly, teeth clenched at the rough scab rather slowly introducing its self to his hand, the previous joy he had shattered.

_Damn fragility, how can such pathetic excuses for an existence stand being torn apart by so little! _

His emotions played on chaotic, more erratic than they had been recently. That line was so close, Viridian all over again but he couldn't do it, sour.

His victory is torn.

Loki stood guard as his master was in the shadow of thankfully one of the out skirting buildings of Pewter City enough away so John wouldn't see; what kind of expression would that give if your new commander was fawning over badly bruised bone and muscle?

And as his mind hissed in fury, he tried bitterly to keep any noise from slipping past his lips till the pain passed.

_Is the human healing system really this slow to react? It's pitiful!_

Local people seem ignorant of anything happening due to the incidentally well chosen hiding spot, going about as they would daily; laughing, couples together whispering things to each other, children charging around as they play with fellows and young Pokemon running after the human charges.

Loki's eyes narrow a fraction as he steps out the way of a giggling child. He doesn't like how close some come; invading the circle he had created in his mind as protected. The concept for them to be happy eluded the entity completely, they grinned from play, not from slaughter like his Master gained it.

The fragments were the worst part to get out; they just seemed to encourage fresh liquid to trail from their burrows across palm and finger as they migrated; ignoring the seething anger from the clenched teeth of whose hand they lazily escaped from. Blunt teeth, no claw or tusk was making the task nigh upon impossible.

His focus continued stiffly upon his hand as the last shard was torn from his skin, nuzzling the spot gently in sheer instinct and habit for tending to his ailment.

It is unexpected when a young child approaches him, seemingly ignored by Loki for some reason, her voice is a little shrill but Arthus strangely doesn't snap even when she suddenly announced her arrival.

'Hey mister! Is your hand okay?' the little auburn questions, proudly staring upwards in her little pink frilly dress with her head cocked to the side curiously staring.

'I injured it by accident coming into town, its nothing for you to worry about little one' he replies softly, watching her puzzled, the sparkly expression disturbed him somewhat.

'Mommy is a good nurse, she can help bandage it if you want, pleeeeeeease will you come?' she questions, already tugging gently on his t-shirt to get him to follow, her eyes widened with a smile delicately on her lips.

His mind finds the child confusing, why would she care about a complete stranger and an injury regardless of what profession their parent had? Suspicion was there that this would be a trick of some sort as nothing could possibly be trusted in this city.

'What's your name little one?' he asks suddenly, ignoring the tugging on his shirt, his mind struggling to focus with the nagging pain to use any form of mind sweep to be sure of her intentions or name.

'Natalie… so gonna come or do I have to use mommy's Chansey?' she replies meekly causing her charge to blink a moment, his contact with children had been extremely little outside his aggravating little brother the innocence was so foreign to see something without a trace of deception his entire life has lived by.

'Lead' he answers quietly, flinching at the squeal as his uninjured hand is grabbed and he's dragged away from his hiding spot, eyes trained on the child with up most scepticism.

Loki had moved himself somewhat from guarding; there was no command to tell him to stay in that spot so he failed to see any reason to bother in his now limited psyche. The children intrigued him; so many why's he was unable to form into words to be understood yet so badly he still wanted to know.

For the first time since his capture, the Rukario decided the master could wait.

Arthus was well aware of Hospitals, what they were and such, he had once posed as a worker who mysteriously disappeared when some key devices suddenly when missing … that and after the supposed miracle technique incident spawn from his natural abilities it seemed a good time to go. Thankfully that happened several years ago now in another location so it would be doubtful anybody would recognise him on sight.

Natalie was extremely adamant that her mother was allowed to see this stranger she found injured; she commanded authority a little out the league of such a young child.

And he found it rather amusing.

'Nathalie, what have I told you about telling off co-workers, hmm?' one of the many staff members questioned as the said child charged past countless others to this one, she instantly is a picture of innocence in her presence.

'But mommy, he's hurt his hand bad, wanted to bring him to the best nurse I know!' she protests, still attached to his hand which unusually he didn't seem that bothered about as long as the container stayed out of her reach.

Normally he would have snapped and at least hit somebody for touching him so he wasn't remained of the form he is forced to take because of the majority species present.

'Flattery gets you everywhere' the girl's mother says with a slight roll of her eyes. She does look a lot unlike from the child; she has long blond hair, not short and curly as Nathalie does and causes him to eye her curiously for her completely different look from some nurses he had seen that he remembered.

'Sorry sir… my daughter gets a bit out of hand sometimes, if she found an injured Sandshrew she'd bring it in here without a thought… Now what's wrong with your hand?' Inwardly he growled a little, he had an excuse for formalities with English not being his first tongue… everyone else who did it bothered him to aid his hinted anger about out of control of a situation.

'It's Arthus' he grumbled, his mind too fragile to come up with a new name beyond the one he had so recently used, 'I got a little… excited. Hit some rock with my hand; wasn't thinking it would hurt this much.'

The nurse nods sagely before ushering her daughter off him so she could look to his hand which he flinched rather notably as she handled it as well as backing off from her touch as much as he could, thankfully for him she just puts it down to it being sore.

'Seems just to be bruising… Oh I'm Tanya by the way; Tanya Dori and you've already met my daughter I see. Hmm, what profession are you in may I ask, Arthus was it?'

Resisting the desire to snatch his hand away he replies rather cagily, not wanting a human to fawn over his injury, he didn't trust anything medical, as it seemed so primitive from what he had witnessed before.

'Gym Leader' he seethed quietly as he watched her fingers grace over his hand dabbling in his own fresh blood, he hated the feeling, loathed touch; he is out his element.

'Oh?' is her reply, his stiffness notably relaxing as she stops massaging the muscle to clean her hands with a paper towel letting the liquid spread like plague, 'which gym would that be?'

_Shit_

Now there was a problem, very few didn't know about Viridian's desolation and mentioning it would raise far too many questions but….

'Viridian's Gym, the rumour about the city's destruction is widely exaggerated despite how many people make it so. When somebody shot a horror film there, people saw the props and assumed the place had been destroyed; city hasn't honestly been same since.' He muses with a chuckle. 'People are just overly paranoid these days.'

Tanya eyes for a moment surprised that he had said it but doesn't comment on it.

'Might be for there but maybe not with all these recent murders across Kanto… only two years ago did somebody try to kill the Gym Leader here; killed all her Pokemon they did, never did find out who did it. Might have seen something in the papers, remember seeing her going through here before being taken to Viridian's police'

'…'

That did it, he immediately tensed up again, and his temper had just shot back into visage in a certain burst of flame.

_Her_

'Hey you all right?' the nurse questions with a worried expression a hand on his arm ignorant to his near outburst brewing inside. With a few breaths, he lets himself chill just enough to respond.

'The thought that somebody would try _sickens_ me' he states rather angrily even though the excuse was the complete opposite of why he was furious 'I know the 'family' well, we haven't spoken in a few years; I've been too tied up with work. In fact, had I not needed to go to Celadon now for business, I would visit them, catch up with old times compare what kinda trainers we've had and like.'

Even being purely human right now, his eyes are slits amongst amber and scarlet, no matter what he looked like to everybody else, there is a strict colour he is to himself and his anger at the lie he is forced to spit out without choking sickened him to the core.

'Mommy, can I go out and see Leon? I promised to help exercise his dad's Gyarados today' Nathalie pleads, ruining the darker mood entirely and shooting down his temper as he looks at her, who would be insane enough to have a Gyarados in these parts….?

'Nathalie, you know I don't like you playing with that _thing _no matter whose its it, Gyarados are dangerous enough let alone one that _size_' her mother scolds as she gestures to her little girl, oblivious as she is.

_That size and father's? Only one person that could be…._

'Nathalie,' he asks quietly causing the girl to look at him curiously either for the question or the act he had addressed her by name, 'who is this Leon?'

A blink but before she can reply, Tanya jumps in.

'Leon's the Gym leader's son… sweet little thing he is even though he always has one arm bandaged up for some reason. Can't do enough for you, always charging around doing errands even at his age and yet still finds time to at least try to keep Nathalie here out of trouble' she muses with her eyes closed before taking a stern tone as she continues.

'Certainly better than I can say for that father of his they're just like complete opposites with him going at anybody who tries to get too close to his wife if they're a guy or refusing to go need a hospital no matter how bad he gets injured from the oddest of things yet can't do enough for her. It's all very weird if you ask me'

And before Arthus can get a word in this time, he's stopped yet again.

'Mommy, Hance isn't that bad, he's really nice! He was showing me what he could do with that sword a few days ago when he practiced, its way better than the cartoons!'

'I don't like you watching him with that thing you might get hurt! Huh who on earth would use a sword in this day and age anyway?' The nurse scolds angrily at her innocent looking daughter.

'My sword he means' he grumbles under his breath… 'Could I ask you a favour of you both?'

Both look to him confused as he holds his easing hand in his free.

'Don't mention to anybody you saw me here ok? I want to surprise the pair when I come back from Celadon and I don't want them worrying because I was here after all. I don't want anybody suspicious I'm in town either, won't be any fun that way will it?' He continues carefully, slight grin on his face, hint of slyness lurking in his returned orbs.

'Sure we can do that for you, isn't a problem' Tanya replies with a grin eyes closed as she turns to Nathalie should be.

'We can do that can- Nathalie!'

The spot was clear; she had since gone to go see Leon in the split second her mother turned away.

'Sorry about that, she's just being plain ru-' Tanya stops in her tracks, blinking.

Arthus had vanished as well, not a trace of him anywhere following suit of the child.

Scowling, the nurse holds the paper towel in her hand looking at it oddly before narrowing her eyes slightly.

_That's odd, fresh blood shouldn't be violet…_


	5. Sengu

Before this chapter I must explain two things:

Sengu are elemental spirits they are partically common in the realm Arthus is from and in his raw form at least he can easily summon them and get them to do whatever, he's in his 90's, plently of time to know how However forced in human it's a lot harder and requires a lot more concentration, why a Sengu was even there will be explained later trust me, there is a reason why a Starlight happened to be there and it will emerge later.

The mirror reflector is something, a chip placed on every one of his kind if they leave where they live, it fuctions to hide their true apperence and gains energy to run by the simple act of breathing, it can last some time if this is prevented. However because Arthus cut his so long, it started to feck up so he ended like that

Now for the chapter

**Collector**

**Chapter 5 - Sengu**

****

****

_That was… interesting_

Currently the Leader leans against one of the hospital walls on the outside, the brickwork imprinting its self into his back as he plots with distaste lingering in his throat.

He knows now, the pain is subtle, enough to see

'That nurse has got to go' he hisses quietly to himself. He is meanwhile being ignored by residents of Pewter City going in and out the building; they are thinking of him just needing five minutes alone from something happening inside as these people only seem to think the best in everything.

_If I remember right, examination showed humans have red blood. Bah mine will still look its natural state and that girl has seen it for real but I still have time; she's debating what to do with it…. sometimes I have to be thankful for their incompetence_

Lifting his still bloodied fist to his eye line, he stares at it carefully, the steadily turning violet to a set ash colour as it dries as his narrowed eyes glare accusingly at the flesh.

_And because of the human presence I can't summon any fresh Sengu, don't have any of my swords with me, non of the rodents are here either; this is gonna be a much harder stealth kill than I'd like but I'm not backing from this challenge so easily. This'll help heal faster than any pathetic methods with damping of cloths and weak-minded insulin_

He can sense her easily now, with such a firm lock because of a thin trace of his drying life fluid still on her hands, just enough to pick her off from amongst the other vermin in the building.

But for some reason, he chooses not to simply kill her with a strike… everybody in the building; every single one must pay for seeing his presence every single one of them so no truth is told

_All must burn_

With a sick grin on his face, he turns away from the wall and glares upwards at seemingly nothing but he knows exactly what he is aiming for, they'd be just enough energy from resident Sengu to produce what's needed even if he feels crushed and contained forcing control and skill to be run over for pure luck of the draw.

Years of practice in a tabooed art had to pay off at some point after all.

His eyes narrow slightly as his face creases with concentration despite now unable to see, only knowing through a mind's eye of the location of what he needs. He can feel the spiritual energy, lighter than his raw form but there, un-seeable by the human plague rotting yet another world.

_A starlight Sengu… hmm that's a rarity_

His hand wavers a little as he raises it, allowing for it to trickle a little way up the wall forcing some of the dried blood scrape off for new untainted un colour. As short as the gesture started he snatches it away again with eyes tainted with pale white cloud.

As the summoned awakens from its daylight slumber pulling away so slow from the very brickwork from which it hid, the serpent shaped Sengu hisses at the air as the ground cherry eyes show no emotion towards the nature of its tone.

It shows no commitment to gravity, lingering partly stretched from the nest as the rest loosely clings on still as the light azure colour of its body shifts somewhat to a darker obsidian as the blood that tainted its arousal ensnares it so tight to the master's will.

_You have a job little Sengu, complete the task and your slumber will be returned_

His breathing hisses with malice as the thought dissipates to nothing, he is the only mind reader; the words were simply for him alone. But so focused is he, so blind and deaf to the world as the Sengu is commanded, he cannot see the eyes watching him. He fails to envision the startled faces at the faint shimmer of a nova-feathered limb occasionally grasping at their sight before vanishing again under the visage of the reflector.

The Sengu is simply blank in thought, incapable to do anything but what it is commanded like a belittled solider sent to war without the capability to obey anything but given order. Its slither tainted with unnatural gait as it disappears into the crevices of brickwork shifted into raw shadow, hiding from the stinging burn created from its nemesis of light bringing and thus disappearing entirely into the building for its set objective.

Arthus narrows his eyes slightly as he watches and without thinking his bloodied fist clenches tightly causing some of the watchers to back way or quiver as they continue to stare at him. They dare not move as more stop, some look nervy, others curious, confusion also across their expressions as other flickers of his pure blood form shows for just a moment; all in his ignorance to the outside world and the changes happening within him under the pressure.

The Sengu reveals itself within the hospital walls as it pulls away from the walls like a long swaying tongue finding itself in a closet of some kind accidentally knocking a broom to the floor causing it to clatter against the tile.

It hisses as it glares at the offender before touching the walls with its entire body, slithering with uneasy grace as it follows thick wires that the dark serpent lightly brushes against it causing minute tingles to riddle down its body in light azure prickles.

'Make them burn, destroy the box, I'll handle to rest easily enough' Arthus mutters quietly under his breath, still unmoved from his position, oblivious still to the fact that the shift had paced up a little as his energies were forcibly concentrated beyond the minor scrap he needed for the reflector. Normally, the reflector would run purely on the simple act of breathing, using that force to keep it active but with somebody barely bothering with his mind forcibly focused elsewhere, it was an increasingly impossible task to keep in check.

The Elemental nods slightly as its mouth opens wide before dunking its head through the lid of the fuse box snatching two wires within fangs before yanking harshly tearing them from their sockets. Though they do not follow out the lid like their provoker, the wires still cause a surge to rip through the remaining wire rapidly to everything it could touch. Sparks are thrown randomly at different intervals, nestling amongst flammables like paperwork, bandages, medical drugs… human flesh.

The movement is swift as the spirit moves away back to the nest as if nothing had happened, ignoring the broom that it had slammed into being dissolved by unnaturally burning liquid fire devouring everything in its path as nothing of its interest; daylight is round, sleep is the only task to bother with.

Arthus' eyes widen a moment before settling as normal as he finally turns away from the wall, his disposition clearly not a happy one at the gawkers… until he realises why they stare.

His form isn't, as it should, it feels wrong, a mangle of pure blood and the human residents, an angelic demon much like the alignment the angels of the Realm turned once in the Mardia war decades prior. He blinks a moment letting both his eyesight and composure settle a moment.

Only two wings are present over the regular four, ebony stitched with one ragged in feather and hung loosely like it is dead trailing behind a pair of arms matching his others on that side. Regular armour is imbedded in the flesh at random intervals, hands clawed but still human like in a gnarled form. He has the doubled ankle as he would naturally, ending in a mash of human and armoured claw where his tail, minus the split, waits slightly dragging on the ground beside.

Russet eyes narrow as he says rather flatly in his home tongue:

'Deserni'

The screams finally begin after that, some frozen while others start running in natural fear but his interest instantly snaps onto the leavers as his eyes narrow with hatred flickering across his eyes much like the encouraged fire now rippling away in secret across the wards before the entire blaze.

'Die' he hisses angrily before roaring in scattered distortion in defiance at the human cowardice causing several to simply fall to the ground clutching their heads violently as their screams turn to soft whimpers of agony. One arm slams downwards as he roars out again in fury, the force of the mental strike instantly crushing several targeted humanoids with ease letting their eyes roll upwards as his own orbs seethe with anger.

Ones untainted blink confused, petrified and unable to move as they stare at those who only moments ago screamed in agony before an uneasy silence and dead eyes became the only thing there.

'Next one to try and leave receives the same; my bad mood has been a HELL of a lot worse because your stupidity has wreaked a simple task so try to escape your pitiful minds will pay for it before you can even take a few steps.' He hisses angrily completely devoid of control he once had, long pushed into insanity and extremely violent in disposition.

A few nod dumbly as his eyes narrow harshly, burning into them causing the odd one to shiver uncontrollably as a feral stalker tears through their thoughts to their memories before devouring the tasteless meal and decimating others than those from the past minutes at random choice. He watches in silence despite the deep growl rumbling in his throat, purged every single one till they fall to the ground lifeless but without death, partial amnesia and a severe migraine will be the worse any of the vermin awake with.

Finally satisfied they are all down; his corruptive mind spasms force his gaze back to the building, where it waits in silence like the shallow breathing of the fallen surround him. His eyes widen just a fraction as he finally lets his breathing settle to normal, lets the energy allow the Reflector to return to normalcy as he carries out the final dregs of his rage and lust for the destruction he so badly desires right now.

_Be **purged**_

Inside mass panic ensues; screams echoing down every single corridor, flames emerge from nothing to block paths and ensnare the trapped as their pour down the callers throat to burn them to ash through the inside of all then can catch.

Sicker patients are the last on most's minds replaced with the need for there own selfish aims to live not some stranger, not they own children like something was preventing them from realising what they were doing.

And as he flames tear apart lives of all they can track down, there is one particular they hound who is constantly running down each hallway, ignoring the screams as she barely keeping herself from doing so. Her ankles are being used as a step up to reach her, scarring the back of her legs as she yelps in pain, scrunching her eyes tight with clenched teeth trying to get away, not stop, she has to survive for her daughter, get the blood sample safe.

A distant roar is heard echoing from the outside, screeching of salvation as the flames finally force her to the ground and the slide she carried smashing onto the ground as tears stream down her face as she lets out her final whimper.

'Nathalie… God keep her safe, get her the truth'

The last thing she is heard by is a scream high pitched as the flames finally engulf her body tormented in assaulting touches, incinerating it so no truth can ever be said as commanded.

…

A shard of glass is snatched away from the charcoal corpse before the flames touch it and steals it, before it is hidden it away, and the truth stolen. With a flicker of dark orbs, the final wish is to be granted for both the truth to be found and a child now to be protected by the Starlight, thus it disappears amongst the fire untouched to grant that final prayer.

6


End file.
